City with two faces, Chinese and Portuguese
Macau is a city with two faces, while you enjoy Chinese culture, you can also experience the exotic Portuguese buildings, on one hand it has churches, fortresses , where you will find anything you need to get a real glimpse of China’s cultural life, on the other more on the East, Macau will remind you self styled Las Vegas. There is no way, you will remain bored or disappointed in this particular Chinatown, it’s charismatic but sleepy little city. Its boom was compared to that one in Shanghai, the only difference is that in here, the buildings are more like in LA, mega casinos and hotels, while in Shanghai and Hong Kong most of the constructions are skyscrapers.Don’t get me wrong , Macau is not only about gambling, which is legal by the way, this little cozy island is spreading a colorful palette of greenery, a very unique and particular city, where you will smell, feel and touch Portuguese influence, art deco buildings, baroque churches and impressive stone fortresses, which have been there since 1622, occupying the highest point in Macau. The name of the city has a meaning, A-Ma Temple, which was the shrine dedicated to the Mazu, a sacred sea god, very well known and respected by the locals. Around the middle of the sixteenth century, when Portuguese arrived in the island, they asked a fisherman what’s the name of this town, as he misunderstood the question, thinking they meant the A-Ma Temple in a front of them, he answered Magao, since than Portuguese called the land Magao for 400 years, and after it became a Republic of China on December.
Macau has its very own charm, which by the way was recognized by Unesco in 2005, naming 30 buildings and squares as the Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site, not to mention the number of world class museums in the town. Macau will surprise you, how different it could be, even if now it’s a part of China, sometimes, actually on every step you will take, you will feel Portugal and their influence. The diversity of different people, culture and history, it all has blended in one, you will see fashion and antiques, traditional and modern, edgy and classic, you will be surprise, how clean is the city, washed streets, green gardens and gorgeous hilly landscapes, a healthy fresh air, amazing weather, it won’t leave you indifferent.
And the cuisine, ou the food just makes your stay in here brilliant, from Macau style Portuguese cuisine, to very excotic Italian, French, Brazilian, Indian and Japanese food, no matter what you prefer, you will definitely find your very favorite in Macau. As Macau itself, Macanese cuisine is well worth tucking into, it soaks up city’s identity, food is a fusion there, combination of the best cuisines in the world. Spices are used a lot, Macanese dishes are very often baked or roasted for long periods, allowing the flavor of the spice to come out, the best of crab, cod fish, sardines, chicken, duck and rabbit will surprise and totally please you. The best of Portuguese influences will shine through, with chilli, coconut and turmeric. Give a Macau a chance to proof that is totally unique and worth of visiting.
